The New Orleans Saints came into the 2026 NFL offseason with a very clear goal of building an offense around Tyler Shough to see if their 2025 second-round pick truly is the team’s franchise quarterback.
To upgrade their roster, the Saints used the 2026 NFL Draft to add a few fun young players to the roster, while also spending a lot of money in free agency.
However, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell levied some criticism of the Saints’ way for their $61 million, $48 million, and $33 million free-agent signings, questioning why the Saints spent so much money on players not worth it.
Saints’ big free agency bill might be a mistake
“I would have liked to see them go for players who offered more upside or have their best years ahead of them,” Barnwell writes. “Instead, a win-soon team made win-now decisions.”
The Saints signed offensive guard David Edwards for four years at $61 million, running back Travis Etienne Jr. for four years at $48 million, and linebacker Kaden Elliss for three years at $33 million.
While Barnwell said there was “nothing wrong” with the Edwards signing, as he’s a key protector for Shough, he did question their need to give Edwards, 29 years old, guaranteed money in his third year of this contract.
Etienne was someone Barnwell believes to have been a bit of an overpay by the Saints, “Given his local ties.” The Saints were also questioned about the Elliss signing, “… is this a team that really needed to pay a premium for a solid linebacker?”
While the Saints might not be ready right now to be a playoff team, the Saints just spent like they anticipate being a serious contender this season.
These three signings combine to form a $142 million free agency bill, which, in Barnwell’s opinion, is an overpay for all three players.
Edwards might be older and a bit more pricey than expected, but he was a must-add for the Saints to improve their offensive line.
Etienne was also expensive, but considering the RB market, it wasn’t too bad a deal. Elliss might be a little rich, but there is an out after year two of his deal.
While Barnwell was clearly not the biggest fan of these three decisions, labeling them the “worst” of the offseason from the Saints, there is room for all three to prove Barnwell wrong in 2026 and beyond.
